It has been fascinating to have a close-up view of the Lakers head coach during this postseason. One minute he sounds like he is ready to retire, the next he is fully engaged in cerebral swordsmanship. There is no reason to mention that Steve Nash is guilty of constantly "carrying" the ball, like Jackson recently did, unless you are trying to stir something up.

Phil, Phil, Phil.

"There is one thing I'm sure of," Cartwright said. "He obviously doesn't want to play a Game 7. He'll try to get more movement from his team on offense, try to get more penetration. We know what's coming.

"It's going to be a (battle) of will."

It is never a quiet news day when Jackson is around.

During this series he has been hounded by questions of other NBA suitors and grilled about the possibility of retirement.

Skeptics say he has benefited from great talent - Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan - but it's hard to ignore the accomplishments. Two NBA titles as a player and 10 as a coach. His teams are 45-0 in series when they win Game 1.

He is always making off-the-court news. That happens when you write a book and refer to Bryant as "uncoachable." That happens when you date the boss' daughter, Jeanie Buss.

Word is that Jackson can be hard on his assistants. Cartwright would say only that Jackson and Alvin Gentry "are completely different."

"Alvin's from down South (North Carolina) and Phil is from North Dakota. They have totally different backgrounds, are different people and are totally different managing."

As far as coaching, Cartwright said: "Phil is more orchestrated. It's definitely opposite. We just freelance. We just play for the most part. We allow our guys to be creative, and hopefully we can make some shots."

"He's absolutely terrific. He welcomes input, and I have a lot," Cartwright said, laughing. "Phil's very, very open, too. The difference is he's very set on what he's going to do. Obviously he's been successful, so why change it?"

Cartwright appreciates how Gentry has reinvented the Suns throughout the series.

He tweaked the defense along the way - with Cartwright's encouragement - and inspired role players to step up.

Gentry deserves credit, too. We take our cues from our leaders. Gentry does a terrific job of supporting his players while also demanding excellence. He has managed, in great-expectations series, to remain upbeat, optimistic and confident. Maybe his greatest achievement is convincing his players to not be discouraged by Bryant.

It sounds simplistic, but Bryant's killer instinct can inspire emotional surrender. A buzzer-beater here, an impossible fadeaway there, and suddenly your psyche has you moving slower on defense.